News

Alumni in the News: The Daily News: Budge to replace Gill as Catlin Elementary principal

Author: By Leslie Slape / The Daily News

Posted: April 17, 2013

This article originally appeared in The Daily News. You can read the orginal article here.

Holly Budge has been hired as the new principal at Catlin Elementary School, returning to a school where she did her student teaching more than 10 years ago.

Starting next school year she will replace Nancy Gill, who is retiring, the Kelso School District announced Monday.

Budge, a native of Rainier, began teaching in 2001 at Beacon Hill Elementary School, where her current position is dean of students and academic coach. She also is an instructor of teacher certification courses at City University.

She did her student teaching at Catlin in 2000 while earning a bachelor’s degree in social science from Portland State University. She earned a master’s degree in teaching from City University in Portland in 2001. She has continued her education and is a doctoral candidate with the University of Phoenix.

“Holly’s professional knowledge, integrity, insight, personal and professional commitment to the improvement of education and with the welfare of children serves as a model to all of us in the field of education,” Beacon Hill Principal Rob Hutchison said in a district news release. “The Catlin staff, students, parents and community are fortunate to have her as their principal. She is an excellent addition to the Kelso School District’s leadership team.”

Budge inherits the mantle of beloved Catlin Principal Gill, who will be 65 this year and began teaching in Kelso around 1985. She became an administrator about 14 years ago.

“I’ve loved every job I’ve done,” she said last month after announcing her retirement. “I’ve been all the roles. It’s kind of helped me in this position. I can put myself in other people’s place. I know where they’re coming from and use their lens to help figure things out.”